Apple announced several actions it has taken in response to Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, including temporarily halting all product sales in Russia.
The company also has disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine “as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens.”
Last week, according to Apple, the company stopped all exports into its sales channel in Russia. It also has limited access to Apple Pay and other services in the country. In addition, Apple said that apps for Kremlin-backed media outlets RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available to download from the App Store outside of Russia.
“We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence,” the technology giant said in a statement. “We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region.”
Apple’s statement continued, “We will continue to evaluate the situation and are in communication with relevant governments on the actions we are taking. We join all those around the world who are calling for peace.”
The announcement from Apple comes after Ukrainian vice prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov appealed to Apple CEO Tim Cook in a letter he posted Feb. 25 on Twitter to “stop supplying Apple services and products to the Russia Federation.” Fedorov also asked Cook to block access to Apple’s App Store in Russia, but that was not among the steps Apple said it has taken so far.
